Cinquecento Paper

Magnolia director Donald Farnsworth has worked for years to recreate the papers of the Italian Renaissance at a large scale for contemporary artists. This document explores the factors involved in taking one's studio practice back in time to the cinquecento era, including the use of bast fibers (linen, hemp) in the paper pulp; the adoption of various beating methods; and -- crucially -- the use of felts made from sheep with 500-year-old DNA in their wool.